Modern communications systems use digital encoding technologies to encode voice communications. Some of these encoding technologies are variable bitrate encoders that are able to use different bitrates under the same encoding scheme. Higher bitrates provide higher voice quality but also require more bandwidth for communication exchanges. Similarly, lower bitrates provide lower voice quality while requiring less bandwidth for communication exchanges.
Accordingly, a communication system operator may choose a bitrate for a variable bitrate encoder that provides a compromise between bandwidth usage and voice quality. If the amount of available bandwidth is high, then the operator may choose a higher bitrate for the encoder so that users experience greater voice quality. However, if the amount of available bandwidth is low, the operator may choose a lower bitrate so that more calls can be serviced at a lower voice quality. These compromises may be especially necessary in the case of wireless communication networks, which typically have limited wireless spectrum bandwidth.